1. Field of Invention
This invention relates generally to electrostatic display apparatus, and particularly to electrostatic display apparatus in which the latent image may be viewed between a toning station and a fusing station before it is fused; and then either advanced to be fused, or erased by neutralizing it and removing the toner, as the strip upon which it was formed is withdrawn.
2. Prior Art
Electrostatic display systems are in wide, general use in multi-branch banks, multi-branch manufacturing operations, criminal identification systems, and numerous other types of usage. In such systems, there is usually a central pool of available stored information that is subject to being recalled and displayed at a terminal. Where numerous bits of information are stored, the information is usually presented on the face of a cathode-ray tube where it may be read. Such terminals may be very costly. The display usually takes the form of a greenish image on a dark background. If such images are to be read continuously, they become extremely fatiguing to the eye. On the other hand if the information is used in a xerographic display system, the terminal does not provide means for viewing the information until after it is permanently imprinted on a dielectric strip and fused thereon. If the information applied to the strip does not include the desired bits of information, the permanent print is useless and must be discarded.
No apparatus is now known or available where a temporary visible electrostatic image is formed on a strip and is viewable in its preformed state, subject to being rejected and the strip reused if the temporary visible electrostatic image is not acceptable.